ofKRAPP'S LAST TAPE
[p. 1r]
EDD=
[0001] A late evening in the nineteen eighties.
[0002] Krapp's den.
[0003] Front centre, a small table, the two drawers of which open towards audience.
[0004] Sitting at the table, facing front, i.e. across from the drawers, a wearish old man: Krapp.
[0005] Rusty black narrow trousers too small short for him. [0006] Rusty black sleeveless waistcoat, four capacious pockets. [0007] Heavy silver watch and chain. [0008] Grimy white shirt open at neck, no collar. [0009] Surprising pair of dirty white boots, size ten, very narrow and pointed.
[0010] Pallid face. [0011] Purple nose. [0012] Disordered hair? hair. [0013] Unshaven.
[0014] Very near-sighted (but unspectacled). [0015] Hard of hearing.
[0016] Cracked voice. [0017] Peculiar accent or intonantion 
.Unmistakable intonation Distinctive intonation.
[0018] Walking an effort. Laborious walk.
[0019] On the table a tape-recorder with microphone and a number of cardboard boxes containing reels of recorded tapes.
[0020] Tanble and immediately adjacent area in strong white light. [0021] Rest of stahge in darkness.
[0022] Krapp remains a moment motionless, heaves a great sigh, then looks at his watch, fumbles in his waistcoat pockets, takes out an envelope, puts it back, fumbles, takes out a small bunch of keys, raises it to his eyes, chooses a key, gets up and moves to front of table. [0023] He stoops, unlocks a first drawer, peers into it, feels about inside it, takes out a reel [⁁] of tape, [⁁] peers at it, puts it back, closes and locks drawer, unlocks and opens the other second drawer, peers into [⁁] it, feels about inside it, takes out a large banana, holds it up between peers at it finger and thumb, closes and locks drawer, puts keys back in his pocket. [0024] He turns, advances to edge of stage, halts, caresses strokes banana, peels it, drops skin at his feet, puts end of banana in hiin his mouth and remains motionless, staring vacuously before him. [0025] Finally he bites off the end, turns aside and begins pacing to and fro at edge of stage, in the light, i.'e. not more than four or five paces either way, meditatively eating banana. [0026] He treads on skin, sloips, nearly falls, recovers himself, stoops and peers at skin and finally pushes it, still stooping, with his foot over the edge of stage into pit. [0027] He resumes his pacing, finishes banana, returns to table, sits down, remains a moment motionless, [⁁] heaves a great sigh, [⁁] takes keys from his pocket, raises them to his eyes, chooses a key, gets up and moves to front of table, opens banana second drawer, takes out a second large banana, holds it up between peers at it, finger and thumnb, locks drawer, puts keys back in his pocket, turns and advances to edge of srtage, halts, caresses strokes banana, peels it, puts tosses skin in his pocket into pit, puts end of banana in his mouth and remains motionless, staring vacuously before him. 
[p. 2r] [0028] Finally he has an idea, drops banana at his feet, turns and goes with all the speed he can muster, backstage into darkness. [0029] Ten seconds. [0030] Loud pop of cork. [0031] Fifteen seconds. [0032] He comes back into light carrying an old ledger and sits down at table. [0033] He lays ledger on table, wiopes his mouth, wipes his hands on the front of his waistcoat, brings them smartly together and rubs them.
|
Krapp |
[0034] (briskly |
[0082] He raises his head, broods, bends over machine, switches it on and assumes listening posture, i.e. leaning forward, elbows on table, hand cupping ear towards machine, face front.)
|
Tape |
[0083] [⁁] (Strong voice, rather pompous, clearly Krapp's at a much earlier time). [0084] Thirty-nine today, sound as a - [0085] (Settling himself more comfortably he knocks one of the boxes off the table, curses, switches off, sweeps boxes and ledger violently to the ground, winds tape back to beginning, switches on, [0105] Pause.  [p. 3r]
[0106] The grain, now what do I mean by that, I mean...(hesitates)...I suppose I mean those things worth having when all the dust has - when all my dust has settled. [0107] I close my eyes and try and imagine them. [0108] Long pause. [0110] Extraordinary silence this evening, I strain my ears and do not hear a sound. [0111] Old Miss McGlo [0126] Pause. [0127] Have just been listening to an old year, passages at random. [0128] I did not check it in the book, but it must be at least ten or twelve years ago. [0129] At that time I think I was still living on and off with Bianca, in Street. [0130] Well out of that, Jesus yes [0169] Pause. [0170] When I look - |
|
Krapp |
[0181]
Now the day is over, |
[0182] Fit of coughing. [0183] He comes back into light, sits down, wipes his mouth, switches on, resumes his posture.
|
Tape |
[0184] - back on the year that is gone, with what I hope is perhaps |
|
Krapp |
[0191] |
|
Tape |
[0207] - bench |
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[0207] - bench by the weir from where I could see her window. [0208] There I sat, wishing she were gone. [0209] (Pause.) [0210] Deserted spot it was, just a few re [0241] Pause. [0242] Ah well... [0243] Pause. [0244] Spiritually a year of profound gloom and indigence, until that memorable night in March, at the end of the jetty, in the howling wind, never to be forgotten, when suddenly I saw the whole thing. [0245] The vision, at last. [0246] This I imagine is what I have chiefly to record this evening, against the day when my work will be done and perhaps no place left in my memory, [0256] Pause. [0257] Past midnight. [0258] Never knew such silence. [0259] The earth m [0260] Pause. [0261] Here I [0262] Krap [0263] - upper lake, with the punt, bathed off the bank, then pushed out into the stream and drifted. [0264] She lay stretched out on the floorboards with her hands under her head and her eyes closed. [0265] Sun blazing down, b [0282] P |
[0285] Krapp switches off, broods. [0286] Finally he fumbles in his waistcoat pockets, encounters the banana-skin, peers at it, hthrows it away, fumbles, brings out the envelope, fumbles, puts back envelope, looks at his watch, gets up and goes backstage into darkness. [0287] Ten seconds. [0288] Sound of bottle against glass, then brief siphon. [0289] Ten seconds. [0290] Bottle against glass alone. [0291] Fifteen Ten seconds. [0292] He comes back a little unsteadily into light, goes to front of table, takes out keys, raises them to his eyes, chooses key, opens first drawer, peers into it, feels about inside it, takes out reel, holds it up between finger and thumb [⁁] peers at it, locks drawer, [⁁] puts keys back in his pocket goes and sits down, takes reel off machine, lays it on dictionary, loads virgin reel on machine, takes envelope from his pocket, consults back of it, lays it on table, switches on, joins tips of fingers, clears throat and begins to record.
[p. 5v]
365
24
1460
730
8760
hours
60
525.600
minutes
|
Krapp |
 [p. 6r]
[0293] Just been listening to that stupid bastard I took myself for thirty years ago, hard to believe I was ever as bad as that. [0294] Thank [0365] Now the day is over, [0366] |
|
Tape |
[0393] [0408] Pause. [0409] Krapp's lips move. [0410] No sound. [0411] Past midnight. [0412] Never knew such silence. [0413] The earth might be uninhabited. [0414] Pause. [0415] Here I end this reel. [0416] Box - (pause) - three, spool - (pause) - five. [0417] (Pause.) [0418] Perhaps my best years are gone. [0419] When there was a chance of happiness. [0420] But I would |
[0423] Krapp motionless staring before him. [0424] The tape runs on in silence.
[0425] Curtain
Note on technique of tape-recorder
for Jake Schwartz
sam. Beckett
March 1958
[p. 7v]
[0192] Viduity - widow state of a widow of being or remaining a widow or widower.
[0193] (Looks up.)
[0195] Being or remaining?...
[0197] (Back to dictionary).
[0199] "Deep weeds of viduity"...
[0200] Also in xx of an animal, especially a bird... vid the vidua bird or weaver bird...so called pee or weaver-bird....
[0201] black plumage of males. ([0202] Looks up. [0203] With relish.)
[0204] The vidua bird!